Albert Barnes Commentary Philemon 1:9

"yet for love`s sake I rather beseech, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now a prisoner also of Christ Jesus:" — Philemon 1:9 (ASV)

Yet for love's sake. For the love which you bear for me, and for the common cause.

I rather beseech you. Rather than command you.

Being such a one as Paul the aged. presbuthv—an old man.

We have no means of ascertaining Paul's exact age at this time, and I do not recall that he ever alludes to his age anywhere except here, though he often refers to his infirmities. Doddridge supposes that at the time Stephen was stoned, when Paul is called a young man (neaniav, Acts 7:58), he was twenty-four years of age, in which case he would now have been about fifty-three.

Chrysostom supposes that Paul may have been about thirty-five years old at the time of his conversion, which would have made him about sixty-three at this time. The difficulty in determining the apostle's age with any accuracy arises from the indefinite nature of the word Luke used in Acts 7:58, translated a young man.

That word, like the corresponding words neaniskov, neaniskos, was applied to men in the vigor of manhood up to the age of forty years (Robinson Lexicon). Phavorinus says a man is called neaniskov, neaniskos (a young man) until he is twenty-eight; and presbuthv, presbytes from forty-nine until he is fifty-six.

Varro says that a man is young (juvenis) until he is forty-five, and aged at sixty (Whitby). These periods of time, however, are very indefinite. But it will accord well with the usual meaning of the words to suppose that Paul was around thirty when he was converted, and that he was now not far from sixty.

We are also to remember that Paul's constitution may have been greatly weakened by his labors, his perils, and his trials. Though probably not advanced to the usual limit of human life, he may have had all the characteristics of a very aged man. (Compare the note of Benson.)

The argument here is that we feel it is proper, as far as we can, to grant an old man's request. Paul thus felt it was reasonable to suppose that Philemon would not refuse to gratify the wishes of an aged servant of Christ, who had spent the vigor of his life in the service of their common Master. It should be a very strong case when we refuse to gratify an aged Christian's wishes in anything, especially if he has rendered important services to the church and the world.

And now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. This means he was a prisoner in the cause of Jesus Christ, or for endeavoring to make Him known to the world. (Compare Barnes' notes on Ephesians 3:1; Ephesians 4:1; Ephesians 6:20; and Colossians 4:10.)

The argument here is that it might be presumed Philemon would not refuse the request of one who was suffering in prison on account of their common religion. For such a prisoner, we should be ready to do all that we can to mitigate the sorrows of his confinement and to make his condition comfortable.